Phoenix Ascendant - eARC by Ryk E Spoor Page A

your oath completely. I assure you, none of us will stand in your way.” Its eyes lit up with sudden amusement. “In fact, I think we could help you.”
    “What?” He was immediately—and he felt justifiably—suspicious.
    “What do you think the Phoenix is going to do when he—or she—arrives in Evanwyl?”
    “Now? After what they’ve done here? Come after you, of course!”
    “But how will they find us?”
    “They…oh.” He paused. “Oh, I see. If I work it correctly, I could lead them to you. And then…”
    “And then,” agreed the other with a chuckle, “You can get your vengeance and we can…deal with the Phoenix’s companions so that no one interferes with you at all.”
    The idea worked. If Phoenix had companions, and they’d even lived through that last battle, they’d be dangerous, dangerous adversaries. Having his Patron and his old comrades taking on those adversaries…“Agreed. If I don’t catch and kill Phoenix before we enter Evanwyl, I’ll find a way to get them to follow me.” He felt his lips twist in an ironic smile. “Given that Phoenix will want to kill me about as much as I want to kill them, that probably won’t be too hard.”
    “No, I wouldn’t think so. Well, then, Aran, I leave you with wishes for a peaceful night’s rest. Good night!” It hesitated before making the final cutoff gesture. “Oh, this scroll—break it after we are done, please.”
    “As you wish, sir.”
    “Farewell, then.” The scroll went blank. Aran immediately picked it up and bent it double. It split and cracked down the center, and instantly began to evaporate. A summoning or temporary creation…maybe a functional duplicate of some original our Patron has elsewhere? He’d never really studied magic in detail. The important point was that no trace of the mirror would remain in a few moments.
    He grinned suddenly. Yes, an excellent plan, Patron. Bring your most powerful enemies to our stronghold, where they will be most vulnerable.
    But you will be in greatest danger there, too, for there will be nowhere for you to hide…and once Phoenix is dead, no reason for me to wait.

Chapter 9
    Poplock caught a tenzili on the wing and crunched down. The glowy-stuff the little insects used gave them a particular tang that he liked.
    “That’s…kind of eerie, Poplock,” commented Tobimar.
    “What is?
    “When you eat those things you end up with a glowing mouth for an hour or so. So I just see this little floating smile and sudden flash of you gulping something else down.”
    “I didn’t realize that! Sounds neat!”
    Tobimar chuckled. “In a creepy way, yes, I think.” The Skysand Prince finished putting the supper dishes away and then went to sit beside Kyri on the other side of the camp.
    The toad noticed Rion looking pensively at them. The one-time Justiciar shrugged and frowned, then turned to look out into the darkness surrounding the camp. “If no one objects,” he said, “I’ll do a scout around camp before we all turn in.”
    Kyri and Tobimar glanced around, both with some reluctance. Knowing what was on their minds, Poplock bounced up onto Rion’s shoulder. “I’ll come with you.” The relief on the others’ faces was obvious.
    So was the wry smile on Rion’s, even in the near-blackness under the stars above Kaizatenzei. He walked a few moments in silence, moving easily and quietly through the brush. “Not letting me out of your sight yet, are you?”
    “Would you , in our position?”
    Rion didn’t answer right away; finally he let out an explosive sigh. “No, I suppose not.”
    “Part of you was counting on that.”
    “What?”
    Poplock gave him a gentle kick to the side of the head. “I saw you looking at them. You’re not comfortable with that, are you? You figured one or the other would insist on coming with you.”
    The blond-haired head dropped down in unmistakable embarrassment. “I…look, for me it’s two years ago. My sister hadn’t even noticed anyone